Finding a Personal Trainer

I would like to find a personal trainer but after reading one of the posts about someone that won a session with one, and couldn't make her muscles work for days after, I am wondering if there are things I should look for in a trainer or ask about to make sure its a good fit. I belong to a health club and there are trainers available, I've just never paid for or used that benefit.

I had a personal trainer through the YMCA. I don't know how they do it at your gym, but they have information posted about the people that do personal training at the YMCA. You could always ask about their qualifications or even references if you feel it would help you to make an informed decision. Good luck

You should be aware of the sort of training program you want before you hire a trainer. Look at the qualifications of the trainers and see what they are certified in. If you are looking for cardio fitness and light resistance training, you wouldn't want to hire a trainer who only does P90x or Olympic weightlifting coaching. Or dance.

I was assigned my trainer by the head of the department at my gym but lucked out and got a really good one. Do look for qualifications - some just have certificates in certain courses and a physical activity background but others (like mine) have university degrees in kinesiology so they have a better understanding of the body and how to best formulate a program. The other thing to consider is their personality and how it matches with your own. Initially, before you ever hit the gym, they should do a sit down with you and ask you lots of questions about your past history, your health, your goals - and give you the opportunity to ask questions, too. If you get a good vibe from your first meeting, give them a try. And, if after a few session you decide you aren't a match, don't be afraid to ask for someone else. Trainers cost good money and you want to make sure you get the most out of the experience. Also, you could ask other people at the gym for recommendations.

I would agree with evelyn64 above. Matching a trainer's personality with your own is a big boost when training with them. I've been seeing and have been friends with trainers for years, and they would agree, if their methods don't match your own goals, you'll be wasting your money.

I also suggest that you use personal training sessions as "educational classes." Most people are smart enough to perform their own exercises correctly and with the intensity they desire, but where do they start? When I first started I was reluctant, thinking I was wasting my money and time since I was already doing lots of things on my own. But I was lucky enough to have an adaptable trainer, and I figured out, with him, that I wanted education on how to do certain things that would improve my performance. So instead of hiring a leader to lead you through a workout, hire a teacher whom you can go to for learning, advice, and periodic checkups.

I'm using a personal trainer three days a week; he helps me to push myself, made me start using this program (Fat Secret), insists I log all my meals and helps me keep on track. The one thing I've learned is that we owe it to ourselves to fire a trainer who doesn't have our best interests at heart and keep interviewing till we find the right one. If any of you know someone in a BNI (Business Networking International) chapter, ask if they have a trainer in their group. That's how I found mine and he's fabulous.

AppleRose... I am still trying to use the conscious eating principles and pairing it with my own intuition on what is healthy and good for me. With my weight training, I have to eat a good protein meal afterward and that is usually a one egg + four egg whites omelette with veggies. It is quite a lot of food even though it isn't high in calories so this is one instance where I sometimes eat beyond feeling full because I know I need the nutrients the meal provides. So, it's a balancing act for me.

After you hire one, don't forget that you are the cusomer and ultimately in charge. I had a wonderful trainer that pushed me to my limits. However there were times I had to tell him I needed to drink more water, take five seconds to catch my breath or that certain exercises bothered my knee.

I am looking for a personal trainer because I have a problem with being consistent in my exercise program so I think having someone to help motivate me will be to my advantage.

I know a good personal trainer. Tim Garrett is his name and he is from Dubai. He really gives his customer all of his ability to make the customer obtain what they want. I highly recommend Tim for you. I am 100% sure that after 8weeks you loss weight. His website: http://www.dubai-personal-training.com/

I use a personal trainer twice a week. He comes to my home and it is wonderful. I have recently developed a heel injury and he has found exercises to work around it while still working the entire body. I am usually sore after a work out but certainly able to function. The most important thing I have learned is that its my body I know my limits. He can push me to perform but if it hurts I stop. Get someone who encourages you and try to have a sense of humor.

The first workout was the hardest and it hurt most on the second day after the workout. It seems that my body was rebuilding and the unused muscles had a lot of rebuilding to do.

Now I workout 4 days a week, 2 in a class and 2 with the trainer. I can feel when the workout is tough and I can feel when I have taken it easy. My trainer always monitors how I am feeling and form to make sure that I do not hurt myself.

I would not be were I am if it were not for the trainer. Mind you I still have a fair ways to go but I am able to do more now than I had before this started. My body is reshaping itself because of the workouts. My weight loss is not as much as I would like (I enjoy good meals sometimes) but I have lost inches and can see definition in my arms and legs that I did not have before.

If cost is a factor, look to your community college to see if there are some classes. That is how I found my trainer and I have not regretted it at all.

I went to 24Hour Fitness and signed up with a trainer and loved it. I got matched with a great one!! I told the guy who signed me up that I needed a trainer willing to work with restrictions - I am currently medically unable to do cardio due to a lung disease - and he asked me what I wanted out of my sessions, why I was signing up and asked a bunch of other questions about me and paired me up with who he thought was a great fit. She is amazing. She pushed me, she set goals, but ultimately let me set the pace. If I needed to catch my breath or wasn't able to do an exercise, she never put me down for that and listened to me while I listened to my body. Then when I lost my job and therefore couldn't afford the trainer anymore, she used my last 2 sessions to make a plan for me on the machines (she preferred free weights as long as she was there to make sure I had the right form) and the last session she just sat with me to answer any questions that I needed to ask. I still see her and she still checks in with me on how I am doing. One thing I like the most was that she didn't ask me to do anything that she didn't or wouldn't do herself. I found the price to be worth it - in just 13 sessions I increased my dumbells from 5 to 15 pounds for my arms and lost an inch and a quarter from my thighs. I say it's worth it. Yeah my muscles hurt a lot the first few times, but gradually that went away...but I've noticed lately that I am not satisfied if my muscles aren't sore after a work out. The process of building muscle (if I understand it correctly) is the workouts tear the muscle a bit and that's why they are sore and how they build more muscle and get stronger...

I would be concerned, especially if this pattern continues. Losing weight too quickly is definitely going to result in too much muscle loss - this in turn slows the metabolism right now which makes it ...